


Love Like Honey

by fannyaubergine



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-05-27 16:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15028814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannyaubergine/pseuds/fannyaubergine
Summary: In which Sebastian falls head over heels for the hopelessly oblivious, relentlessly flirtatious farmer.  Sam and Abigail are determined to get the two together, but Sebastian is reluctant to even let the farmer in.





	1. Chapter 1

There was a vibration in the table that shook Sebastian out of his working trance.  It was his phone, with a text from Sam. _Coming over right now! Big news! :D_

  
Sebastian sighed, removing his headphones.  There would be no getting work done once Sam was there.  The blond meant well, with his friendly chatter, but Sebastian was no multitasker.  So he shut down his computer and rose from his squeaky office chair, heading to the kitchen for some food.

  
Robin noticed Sebastian coming out of basement, and she waved him over.  “Sebby! I haven’t seen you in a while, what have you been up to?” she asked, smoothing out the blueprint on the table in between them.  

  
“Just working, trying to finish up a project,” Sebastian didn’t bother with details, not wanting his mother to ask him any more questions, “Oh, and Sam said he’s coming over, big news or something like that.”

  
“Could be something to do with the new farmer, maybe?” Robin noticed Sebastian’s slight eyebrow raise, and explained, “He moved into the old farmhouse to the west of town a few days ago, he’s supposed to be fixing the place up.  Mayor Lewis had asked me to meet him at the bus stop when he first arrived. Seems like a nice kid.”

  
“Maybe, I don’t get why Sam would be so excited about that, but then again, it doesn’t take much to get him excited,”  Sebastian trailed off, and with a small wave, continued on his way to the kitchen.

  
Minutes later, Sebastian was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of his bed.  The sturdy frame pressed into his back, a sharp contrast to the cold soda that numbed his hands.  A few strands of hair fell in between his eyes, and when he tried to focus on them, blowing gently in the basement draft, he started to doze off.  His head slumped backwards onto the edge of his mattress, and his cup tilted dangerously in his limp hands.

  
Suddenly there was a loud bang that sent Sebastian shooting straight up, along with his soda. The fizzy liquid soaking into his pants irritated him even more as he glared at the intruder in his doorway.

  
Seeing his friend on the floor, covered in soda, Sam at least had the decency to look a little ashamed, but his sheepish expression didn't last long as he rushed to speak, “Sorry, sorry, I should have knocked, I know. But it couldn't wait, I had to see you!” He bounded over and threw himself onto the bed.

  
Sebastian shot him another dirty look, getting up to change his pants as he asked, “What couldn't wait, Sam? What happened this time?”

  
Sam grinned, “The new farmer happened! You heard that he moved here a few days ago, I assume?” Sebastian nodded, recalling his conversation with Robin earlier. “Well have you seen him!??” Sam's voice rose in pitch and volume, and Sebastian shook his head, more confused than ever.

  
Sam rolled onto his back, pressing his hand to his heart in a mock swoon. “Sebastian,” he spoke slowly, “That farmer is the most gorgeous man I have ever met,” Sebastian snorted and opened his mouth to respond, but Sam kept going, “and you are _going_ to date him!”

  
“WHAT?” Sebastian was unsure for a second if he had misheard his friend, or if he was joking, but there was no clarification as Sam ignored him.

  
“I have an idea, but first let's get Abby to meet us there,” Sam pulled out his phone to text their mutual purple-haired friend, paying no mind to Sebastian's spluttering. He jumped out of the bed, looking Sebastian up and down, “Dark and edgy as always, but it will have to do, let's go!” Grabbing his friend by the wrist, Sam ran out of the basement, dragging Sebastian behind him. As the pair passed by Robin at the shop counter, Sam waved cheerfully.

  
Abigail was leaning against a fence by the bus stop, waiting for the two boys, but she straightened up when she saw them approach.

  
“Are you ready for this!?” she shouted, pumping her fist in the air wildly.

  
“Hell yeah!” Sam shouted back.

  
“No!” Sebastian finally wrestled his hand away from Sam, folding his arms tightly in front of him, “I don't even know what we are all doing here. Sam, why would you drag me to the bus stop, and why are you here Abby? What is going on?” Each question was sharper than the last, and by the end Sebastian was slightly out of breath.

  
Sam and Abigail shared a knowing look as they each put an arm around Sebastian's shoulders.

  
“We're going to see the farmer, of course. The _very_ attractive, most likely single farmer.” Sam's voice was low and oddly threatening, despite the innocent smile stretching across his face.

  
Before Sebastian could protest, Abigail chimed in with an equally devious tone, saying, “After all, he is new here, and it would be _terribly_ rude of us not to introduce ourselves. And a waste of time, after we've walked all this way.

  
Sebastian could feel the weight of his two taller friends across his shoulders, pinning him down like a butterfly in a glass case, and he knew that there was no escaping. So he let his head drop, sighing loudly in concession and allowed himself to be dragged along once more.

* * *

 

At first it seemed as though the farm was still abandoned. No one had answered Abigail's knocking at the farmhouse, and Sam couldn't see anyone through the curtains. Neither Sam nor Abigail knew what they should do, and enthusiasm quickly turned into frustration, which turned to bickering. The property was too vast and overgrown to search for the farmer, even without the possibility of him not being home at all, but they were adamant about not just going home themselves.

  
The chatter became background noise to Sebastian as he sat on the porch steps, staring into the distance at the messy fields, which were more grass and weeds than anything else. Absentmindedly, he pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of his pockets and lit it. Sam and Abigail seemed to have forgotten about him as well, as he took a drag and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. His thoughts drifted in much the same manner, and Sebastian began to wonder about the farmer.

  
_Why had Sam insisted he was so hot? What did he look like? Why did he even move out to Stardew Valley in the first place, and why farming? Had he already been a farmer? Where was he from? Was he even into g‒_

  
“And who are all of you?” An unfamiliar voice brought Sebastian out of his daze and silenced Sam and Abigail. Sebastian realized suddenly that there was a person standing directly in front of him and he rushed to extinguish his cigarette. A bit embarrassed at being caught daydreaming, Sebastian looked up at the strange person, surveying him.

  
He was tall, possibly taller than Sam, though it was hard to tell sitting down. His clothes were a bit disheveled, probably from work, and his shirt was wet, clinging to his body like a film. There was no hiding the man's muscular physique, Sebastian noted, and it looked as though he would have been straining against the shirt even without water. Dark blond curls framed his face, glowing under the afternoon sun. The man had one eyebrow cocked, and his lips were moving . . . Shit.

  
For the second time, Sebastian came out of a trance, realizing that the man was talking to him.

  
“Hello? Can you hear me, are you alright?” the man's voice was kind, if a little uncertain. Sebastian could feel his face heat up, and he tried desperately to fight his blushing reaction.

  
“Yes, I hear you, I was just,” Sebastian struggled to explain himself, so Abigail cut in.

  
“He daydreams, a lot. Bit of a space case, you know, he didn't mean to ignore you.”

  
The man flashed Sebastian a smile, “Oh, well in that case, I'm going to assume you didn't hear any of the conversation?” Sebastian nodded, feeling a little light headed. “I was just introducing myself to your friends here. I'm Oliver, the farmer, and you are . . . _seriously_ red, how long have you been sitting out here?” The concern in Oliver's voice was genuine, and only succeeded in making Sebastian more embarrassed.

  
“Not long,” Sebastian's answer was curt, and he cringed internally as soon as it was said. But luckily, the farmer didn't seem to notice. In fact, he seemed almost pleased. The warm smile that had been on Oliver's face for most of the conversation took on a devilish air as the farmer extended a hand to Sebastian. Sebastian took it, a little skeptical, and Oliver pulled him off the step with one fluid motion.

  
“I'm glad. I hate to think of such a pretty face getting sunburnt on my account,” Oliver's voice was borderline sultry, and Sebastian snatched his hands away as though he had been burned, shoving them deep into his pockets.

  
“Don't be ridiculous,” Sebastian tried to make his words as scathing as possible, but even he was having difficulty believing his mock rage. As he began to walk away, making his way back home, he could hear Sam and Abigail trying to stifle their laughter. They were failing miserably. Damn that farmer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second installment of Love Like Honey is finished! A drunk Oliver tells Sebastian a little more than he should, but that doesn't mean Sebastian is going to accept it. If you like this chapter, please comment down below and tell me, and feel free to leave kudos!

_So how is your “pretty face” doing? Still glowing red like a neon sign?_

Sebastian read the text from Sam, resisting the urge to throw his phone into the lake which was stretched out before him. He had thoroughly embarrassed himself in front of the farmer, and he knew that Sam was never going to let it go. Knowing Sam, Sebastian would likely be hearing the story of his overwhelming gayness for Oliver until the day that he died. A bit angrily, he typed out a response.

_Do the words “shut the fuck up” have any meaning to you??_

It took a minute before Sam answered.

_Abby says that you're *incredibly* rude but she still wants to hear all about it when the two of you finally smash ;)_

“Hey, I finally found you!”

Sebastian gasped sharply, foot sliding off of the wooden bridge into the dark water. He just managed to keep from falling in entirely. Tightening his grip on his phone, he whirled around to see who had spoken. Standing by a large salmonberry bush on the shore, flashlight in hand, was Oliver. Sebastian caught himself before he could groan, wondering what on earth the farmer was doing out by the lake, looking for him no less. Then his phone lit up again. Another message from Sam.

_You're probably out by the lake, right? Oliver wanted to see you earlier but I thought he should wait :)_

Of course this was Sam's fault. Sebastian jammed his phone into the pocket of his hoodie and made his way off of the bridge, towards Oliver.

“What do you want?” Sebastian's voice was curt, and he tried to avoid making eye contact. Instead, he focused on one of the farmer's hands, watching him raise it to rub the back of his neck, towering over Sebastian.

“Well, I came to say I'm sorry.” Sebastian stiffened, not expecting an apology from Oliver, and certainly not expecting him to say it as bluntly as that.

“I was . . . out of line earlier. I don't always think before I speak, and well, I'm new. I was nervous,” Oliver trailed off, and then cleared his throat, “I hope that we can still become friends, maybe?”

The minute that the words were out of Oliver's mouth Sebastian wanted to push past him and walk away. But he didn't. There was something about the hesitation in the farmer's voice, the tenderness with which he said “friends”, that kept Sebastian's feet planted on the riverbank.

“It's fine,” Sebastian muttered, almost to himself rather than to Oliver, “I get it.”

A relieved smile broke out on Oliver's face. He suddenly took a step forward and pulled Sebastian into a tight hug.

Caught off guard, Sebastian's eyes flew open. His face was pressed into Oliver's shoulder, and he found himself drawn in to a deep, spiced smell that he couldn't quite place. The weight of Oliver's arms draped over Sebastian was perfectly comfortable, and he was more than a little disappointed when the farmer pulled away. Disappointment faded into embarrassment as Sebastian met Oliver's gaze. Sebastian could feel his cheeks flush under the intense stare, and he hoped that it would go unnoticed in the darkness.

“I should go,” said Oliver, no trace of his earlier hesitation in his voice, “I'll see you around, Sebastian.” He gave a small wave, which Sebastian returned half-heartedly.

Sebastian watched him leave until all he could see was the faint glow of the flashlight, bobbing up and down with each footstep. Once the light had disappeared entirely, Sebastian moved to follow. As he walked down the path to the carpenter's shop, all he could think about was the farmer's embrace, and it warmed him from his core.

* * *

 

After a long night of working, Sebastian woke up late the next morning. Peeling his face away from his pillow, he took his phone off the charger to check the messages from Sam and Abby that always seemed to accumulate while he was asleep. Scrolling through them, Sebastian didn't see anything of much importance, except- Sebastian groaned loudly. Abby wanted to get together at the saloon tonight. Normally, Sebastian was more than happy to meet up every Friday. But it was not Friday. It was Wednesday, and Sebastian would much rather stay home, as he had planned, and keep his own company.

* * *

 

That night, Sebastian unwillingly found himself standing in the Stardrop Saloon, playing pool with Sam while Abby sat on the edge of the table, ready to move the balls around when she thought they weren't looking. The normally relaxing atmosphere of the dimly lit game room was ruined by the unusually loud noise coming from the bar.

“Yes!!” Sam cheered, raising his cue above his head. He had successfully gotten a ball in, making him even with Sebastian. Sam leaned over the table to give Abigail a high five. She obliged, grinning broadly.

“Wow Seb, its been twenty minutes and Sam is still holding his own! You're really off your game. Someone on your mind?” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Sebastian scowled, “Don't be ridiculous!” He put his cue back on the rack, “I'm going to get another drink, I'll be right back. And do not touch the balls, Abby!” She put her hands up, face the picture of innocence, and Sebastian made his way into the bar room.

It seemed like every young person in the valley was there, all gathered around a table in the corner by the jukebox. Sebastian couldn't see what they were doing, but that didn't stop him from watching as he walked up to the bar to order more drinks from Gus. The older bartender was polishing a glass with a rag when Sebastian approached him, as always. Sebastian had never seen Gus without the cloth, and very rarely not using it to clean glasses.

“Back for more, Sebastian?”

“Yeah, I'll have three. For Abby and Sam too,” Sebastian made his request without looking at Gus, still trying to figure out what everyone else was doing.

Gus chuckled, following Sebastian's gaze to the throng of people, “The new farmer, Oliver is his name, is here tonight. He seems to be popular with the ladies . . . and the gentleme—”

Gus was interrupted by an uproar of cheers, whistles, and a female voice yelling, “Take it off!”

“Haley, stop!” Sebastian recognized Emily's voice, trying to reign her sister in.

Clearing his throat, Gus continued, “It's a bit rowdy with him in here, but I won't complain. This is the busiest I've been in a long time, and it's a Wednesday night!”

Sebastian finally turned away from the crowd and gave Gus a half-smile as he started pouring the three drinks. “I suppose that's true.”

“What's true?”

 _Fuck!_ Sebastian jumped in his seat, knocking his knee on the underside of the bar counter. He turned to see Oliver slide onto the stool next to him.

“Hey, Sebastian!” Oliver was wearing a deep blue shirt, which had at some point probably looked very neat and put together, but now looked as though it had been grabbed and pulled away from his body, and was unbuttoned almost halfway.

 _God, that's hot. Why is he so hot? And why is he here?_ Sebastian gulped, “Hi, Oliver.”

Oliver's face split into a cheesy grin and he leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand. He stared at Sebastian, but his eyes were unfocused. Oliver was clearly more than a little drunk. Sebastian's suspicions were confirmed when Oliver leaned in even closer, and he could smell the alcohol on the farmers breath.

“Your hair is nice. So long . . . and shiny!” Oliver reached out to touch Sebastian's bangs, twirling a few of the black strands around his fingers. Sebastian's breath caught in his throat, Oliver's hand was so close to his face, he could swear he felt its warmth on his skin. “Do you always wear it this way?” Oliver didn't give Sebastian a chance to respond, “Because I think,” he furrowed his brows in concentration, “it would look so fucking hot pulled back.” Without warning, Oliver stopped playing with Sebastian's bangs, and ran his hand all through Sebastian's hair, combing it back with his fingers, and he held it at the back of Sebastian's head.

The slight blush that had been dusting Sebastian's cheeks became a deep flush that covered his entire face, as well as his ears. He could feel the light touch of Oliver's hand on the back of his head as though it was burning his skin. His own hands were clenched into fists under the counter.

_What is he doing? Why can't I say anything? Dammit, say something!_

Sebastian's panicked thoughts were broken up by the clank of glass on wood. Finally, after an absurd amount of time, Gus had set down three beers in front of Sebastian.

Oliver let go of Sebastian's hair, and the spot where his hand had been resting suddenly felt very cold. Sebastian watched Oliver pull away and settle himself with both arms up on the bar, unaware of his own lips curving into a soft smile as he studied the farmer's face. His blond hair shifted slightly in the warm light as he talked to Gus, and Sebastian imagined what it would feel like to run his hands through it, just as Oliver had done to him. Sebastian's eyes travelled down to the curve of Oliver's neck, and the fuzzy feeling in his chest vanished. On Oliver's skin, almost hidden by his hair, was a bright pink lipstick print.

Sebastian scowled. He reached up to his own hair, pushing it back to its usual style with quick, short motions, not caring if it was neat or not. Then, he stood up and grabbed the three glasses, knocking them together and spilling a little bit of the beer in the process.

“Thanks, Gus,” Sebastian's voice was strained. Without looking at the bartender or waiting for a reply, he all but ran away from the bar, quick strides taking him back to the game room.

“Bye, Sebastian!” Oliver's voice rang out cheerfully from behind him. Sebastian grit his teeth and clamped his hands tightly around the glasses.

Abby and Sam were sitting together on the couch in the corner. Sam was sitting upside down, with his legs up against the wall, and Abigail had her arms wrapped around her knees. The balls were arranged on the pool table in the shape of a smiley face, probably Abby's doing.

Sebastian sat down between them, waiting for Sam to right himself before handing off the extra drinks.

Abby took hers cheerfully. She ruffled Sebastian's hair, “You got us drinks! Is that why you were gone so long? Sam and I thought you had gotten lost!”

Sam snickered, “Yeah, getting to that farm in the middle of the night can't be easy!”

Sebastian choked, spraying his mouthful of beer.

“Gross, it's all over me!” Abby whined.

Sebastian glared at Sam, hitting him in the chest with the back of his hand. “I am _not_ fucking Oliver!”

Sam leaned around Sebastian to whisper to Abigail conspiratorially, “Did you hear that, Abby? _Oliver!_ He's not “the farmer” anymore, they're on a first name basis!”

“Shut up, you guys.  It isn't funny," Sebastian grumbled into his drink.  He could still hear the chatter from the next room over, and now he knew that Oliver was the cause of it.  There was another loud cheer, and this time Sebastian even thought he could make out Oliver's laughter from the rest of the crowd.

_They've probably taken the bastard's shirt all off now._

Sebastian threw one last look of angry longing towards the noise, before he chugged the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down on the pool table in front of him.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've hit a good pace with this story, I think. The third chapter is here! Sam and Abby begin to help Sebastian puzzle through the feelings he has towards Oliver, and they spend some time alone together. Drop a comment down below and tell me what you think about this chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Abigail took a much more relaxed sip of her drink and put it down beside Sebastian's on the table. She then wrapped herself around Sebastian's arm and laid her head on his shoulder. Her presence was warm, nothing close to the heat that Oliver had instilled in Sebastian, but still comforting. Sebastian sighed, pressing his cheek slightly to the top of Abigail's head.

“What happened, dude? You weren't exactly cheerful before you left, but you weren't this pissed either,” Abigail asked him, a bit sarcastically. It wasn't unusual for Sebastian to be “this pissed” on any given day.

“Oliver,” Sebastian mumbled.

“Called it!” Sam nudged Sebastian with his elbow and raised his drink victoriously. Abigail glared at him. She then cleared her throat and gave Sebastian's arm a squeeze.

“He,” Sebastian hesitated, “talked to me, at the bar. He touched my hair, he ran his fingers through it.” Beneath a curtain of purple hair, hidden from Sebastian, Abigail was smiling. “He said it was . . . fucking hot.” Sam and Abigail squealed simultaneously, and Sebastian dropped his head down, blushing almost as hard as he had at the bar.

Sam grabbed Sebastian by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth and talking enthusiastically, “That's amazing dude! Not only is the super hot farmer gay, but he also thinks you're super hot too!”

Abigail nodded, detaching herself from Sebastian, “I'm with Sam, Seb, there doesn't seem to be any real downside here. I mean, he basically said he was attracted to you.”

“He was drunk, it doesn't mean anything!” Sebastian protested, knowing that Oliver's inebriation was not the real reason that he doubted the apparent confession of attraction.

Abigail scoffed, “Don't be dumb, Sebastian! Drinking doesn't put ideas into your head that wouldn't be there anyway. Why are you so sure that he doesn't like you?”

“I'd say the pink lipstick all over his neck is a pretty clear indication that he likes someone else!” Sebastian shouted, louder than he had intended.

The three friends were silent for a moment, the only noise in the room coming from the crowd out by the bar. Sebastian bit his lip, trying to control his harsh breathing.

Sam's voice was soft, and he put his arms around Sebastian to speak, “I'm sorry, Seb, that actually sucks so much. But . . . it doesn't mean he doesn't like you, or that he won't like you. All of us have had those meaningless hook-ups before. Fuck, you and I have hooked up before!” Sebastian let out a short, breathy laugh. Sam smiled in return. “Look man, do you like Oliver?”

Sebastian frowned at the question. _Do I like him? I've only known him for a few days. I've only talked to him twice._

“He's cute,” Sebastian admitted.

“Then talk to him,” said Abigail, “Get to know him, spend some time with him.”

“Suck his dick!”

Abigail shot Sam a stern look of disapproval. “Do _not_ suck his dick!” she took Sebastian's hand, rubbing the back of it, and said, “You don't have to know how you feel, or how he feels, right now. Find out who Oliver is as a person, then maybe you'll know better if he likes you or not.”

Sebastian sighed, deflating slightly, “Ugh, I guess you're right. Do you guys want to get out of here?”

“Yeah!” Sam and Abigail shouted in unison. Sebastian stood up as they grabbed their drinks to finish them off.

“I'm going to head outside to have a smoke, while you two finish,” Sebastian said as he walked towards the door.

Sam waved him off, waiting until Sebastian had passed through the doorway to turn to Abby and say, “We're still going to set them up, right?”

“Oh, definitely,” Abigail smirked, “No one's thought that Seb's emo hair was hot since like ten years ago. He cannot pass this up.”

* * *

 

The next time that Sebastian saw Oliver was in the carpentry shop, where he was discussing plans to build a coop with Robin.

“Good morning, Sebby!” Robin greeted her son, waving at him with an axe in her hand, perhaps a little more threatening than she intended, but Sebastian was used to it.

“Hi, Sebastian!” Oliver also waved to Sebastian, who was trying desperately to think of anything but the feeling of that hand in his hair.

“Uh, hi?” Sebastian realized that he had never responded and had just been staring at Robin and Oliver. He tugged at the hem of his shirt, suddenly a little self conscious of the fact that he was still dressed in his pajamas. His fuzzy, purple pants, patterned with various types of dice, were incredibly comfortable to sleep in, but not exactly the best for making a good impression on a man who was obviously dressed for a day of hard labor on a farm.

“I like your pants!”

_Oh god he noticed._

“Do you play D&D?” Oliver asked Sebastian, cocking his head slightly to the side.

“Solarion Chronicles,” Sebastian responded, taken aback that Oliver knew anything at all about one of his interests.

“Oh, thats cool,” Oliver put his hands in his pockets, bouncing lightly on his feet, “I don't play, but some of my friends did, back in the city. I, uh, didn't really have the attention span for it.” Oliver grinned sheepishly.

Sebastian nodded, not sure of what to say in response. There was a pregnant pause. Just as Sebastian was going to excuse himself from the conversation, or lack-thereof, Robin spoke.

“Well, I should be able to start working on the coop tomorrow, as long as you clear the area that we spoke about. Remember, there can't be any weeds, rocks, or branches when I start building,” Robin handed Oliver a copy of the blueprints, indicating the size and shape of the area that needed to be cleared, “All that leaves us with is the remaining lumber that needs to get to your farm.” Robin gestured to two neat piles of planks and raw wood that sat beside the counter.

 _That's going to suck to carry. Even with all of those rippling muscles. Definitely going to take more than one trip too._ Sebastian's thoughts trailed off when he noticed his mother staring at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. _Oh no._

“Sebby,” Robin's voice was a little too sweet, “why don't you help Oliver take this wood over to his farm? Go and get dressed, I'll help him load it onto the carts. With the both of you, it will only take one trip! You can show him the shortcut.”

Oliver immediately started to protest, saying that he could do it by himself, and that he didn't want to be a bother. Sebastian ignored him, all of his focus on the pointed look his mother was giving him. Robin folded her arms over her chest, not breaking eye contact with Sebastian. He sighed, knowing better than to argue with her now, even though he had been up until three that morning, and just wanted to get some food and go back to bed.

“Fine,” Sebastian's tone was just a little bit resentful. Oliver stopped talking and gave Sebastian a confused look. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I'll be right back.

* * *

 

“This must be the path going out from the back of my farm. I meant to check it out when I first got here, but I got busy pretty quickly,” Oliver chuckled, “But if it's as short as your mum says, I'll definitely be using it more often.”

“Yeah, it comes out right by your house, it's a really short walk.” Sebastian was actually relieved that Oliver had started talking. It was bad enough that he wasn't resting right now, he really didn't want to spend the entire walk in an awkward silence.

“You say that like you use it often,” Oliver's voice was teasing. He shifted the wagon handle to his other hand, so that he was walking on the side closest to Sebastian. “What business would _you_ have had on my farm, Sebastian?” The question wasn't accusatory, so Sebastian figured there was no harm in telling him.

“Well, it has been abandoned for years. Sam, Abby, and I used to hang out there,” Sebastian paused, remembering exactly what they used to do, hanging out as teenagers on that empty farm, “I, uh, hope we didn't leave anything in your way there. It's been a long time, so probably not, but yeah.” That was a lie, Sebastian had been there a few weeks ago with Sam, helping Abby drink away the pain of breaking up with her boyfriend from the city.

“It wouldn't have been you guys who left all those bottles behind the house, would it?” Now Oliver sounded accusatory. Not that he would have said anything about it before, but Sebastian was definitely not telling Oliver about what he and Sam used to do _inside_ the farmhouse now.

Sebastian opened his mouth to defend himself, but Oliver smiled and spoke first, “Don't worry, man. Even if it was you. I wish I had had someplace like that to hang out when I was younger. The city is harder to escape in than you might think.” Oliver's tone was resolute.

The two men walked in silence for a moment. Sebastian thought about Oliver's words. It was a longstanding dream of his, to move to the city. To finally get out of sleepy little Stardew Valley. But it didn't sound like Oliver had enjoyed growing up there. _Wait._

Sebastian looked up at Oliver, frowning, “How old are you?”

Oliver's eyes widened, “I'm twenty-two. Why do you ask?”

“You said 'when I was younger.' I don't know, it made you sound old,” Sebastian cleared his throat. Saying it out loud, it sounded stupid.

Oliver laughed, tipping his head back. His laugh was beautiful, Sebastian thought absentmindedly. “Come on, I can't sound that old! How old are you?”

Sebastian couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto his face. “I'm twenty.”

Oliver gasped, slapping his hand to his chest, “A baby! Sebastian, you would have me robbing the cradle!” Oliver was laughing again, but Sebastian gulped, nervous. Was he talking about the other night? He couldn't be.

“Oh, we're here!” Oliver sped up, leading Sebastian down the cleared pathway to the farmhouse.

When they got to the front steps, Sebastian let go of the wagon's handle, letting it fall to the ground with a clunk. He massaged his palm with his other hand. It was slightly pink and tingling from dragging the heavy load of wood around. It was also kind of sweaty. Sebastian hadn't noticed it as much when they were walking through the shady forest, but out in the open, the raging sun was much more apparent. As usual, Sebastian had put on his black sweatshirt to go out, and now he was paying the price. His discomfort must have been obvious.

“Why don't you take it off?” Oliver gestured to Sebastian's sweater, smiling faintly, “It's way too hot out here to be wearing a sweater. Or to do anything really. I was going to start clearing the area for the coop now, but I think I'm going to wait until the sun starts to set a little.”

Sebastian tugged his sleeves down over his hands, wanting to take the sweater off, but a little uncomfortable about doing it in front of Oliver. He bit his lip, unsure of how to excuse himself, now that he was done helping, without being rude. He heard Oliver say something.

“Sorry, what?”

Oliver shook his head, still smiling, “I said, 'Do you want to come in?' We could have a drink, you know, as a thank you for helping. Besides, it's hot, and it doesn't look like you're going to take off that sweater anytime soon. I've heard if you faint around here, Joja charges you extra for assistance.”

Sebastian couldn't help but laugh, it was true! He thought over Oliver's offer. _Oh, what the hell._

“I guess I could do that,” Sebastian acquiesced, stepping towards the door.

“Well, don't put yourself out!” Oliver unlocked the door, holding it open for Sebastian to step inside. His face was pink as he watched Sebastian walk inside his home, but that may have just been the sun.


End file.
